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The m TOR pathway and integrating immune regulation
Author(s) -
Cobbold Stephen P.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1111/imm.12162
Subject(s) - pi3k/akt/mtor pathway , immune system , microbiology and biotechnology , effector , biology , rptor , transcription factor , mechanistic target of rapamycin , t cell , signal transduction , immunology , gene , biochemistry
Summary The mammalian target of rapamycin (m TOR ) pathway is an important integrator of nutrient‐sensing signals in all mammalian cells, and acts to coordinate the cell proliferation with the availability of nutrients such as glucose, amino acids and energy (oxygen and ATP ). A large part of the immune response depends on the proliferation and clonal expansion of antigen‐specific T cells, which depends on m TOR activation, and the pharmacological inhibition of this pathway by rapamycin is therefore potently immunosuppressive. It is only recently, however, that we have started to understand the more subtle details of how the m TOR pathway is involved in controlling the differentiation of effector versus memory CD 8 + T cells and the decision to generate different CD 4 + helper T ‐cell subsets. In particular, this review will focus on how nutrient sensing via m TOR controls the expression of the master transcription factor for regulatory T cells in order to maintain the balance between tolerance and inflammation.